Sophisticated imaging systems have become available to photographers of all types. Sensitive, high resolution sensors can be provided in digital single lens reflex cameras, rangefinder cameras, point and shoot cameras, and in mobile phones or other image capture systems. Not only has sophisticated image capture hardware become readily accessible, similarly sophisticated image processing systems and algorithms have been built into image capture devices, or have been provided in image processing programs suitable for amateur photographers and professional photographers alike. For example, single images can be retouched to correct color balance, contrast, or brightness, provide selective blurring, removing artifacts associated with the use of flash such as “red-eye,” and multiple images can be combined in numerous ways. Nevertheless, many problems commonly encountered by photographers remain unsolved, or conventional solutions have significant and generally unacceptable defects. For example, conventional methods of removing image haze have a common problem of making foreground objects excessively dark and/or of changing their colors. Image haze is a common image defect, and additional approaches for removing haze are needed.